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BRIEF REMARKS 

OX THE 



OF THE 


RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 


PUT FORTH BY THE YEARLY MEETING OF PHILADELPHIA 



PHILADELPHIA: 

JAS. B. RODGERS CO., PRINTERS, 52 & 54 NORTH SIXTH STREET. 

1873. 











































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/ 


















Gift 

W, Putnanu* 








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INTRODUCTION. 


Believing that the Document issued by Philadelphia Yearly 
Meeting in 1847, called an Appeal for the Ancient Doctrines of the 
Religious'Society of Friends, did not give a fair exposition of the 
sentiments of J. J. Gurney, and being desirous of satisfying my 
own mind on the subject,-1 procured all his authorized works, 
from which extracts in the Appeal are made—being particular to 
obtain the same edition, where such was mentioned—and carefully 
examined the context. The result has been, an entire conviction, 
on my part, that by passing by paragraphs wherein J. J. Gurney 
expressed himself fully and clearly on the doctrine in question in 
the Appeal, and selecting those in which the subject has not been 
the one under criticism, and where his views in that direction 
are less fully given ; and by quoting parts of paragraphs which did 
not always convey the whole meaning of the author, and italici¬ 
sing certain words and phrases, which were not originally in¬ 
tended to assume such importance; and then comparing the whole, 
with extracts from the writings of early Friends, and the sermons 
of George Fox, together with comments of their own; the writers 
of the Appeal appear to endeavor to fasten upon J. J. Gurney, 
views which he did not hold. 

* ***** * 

The above remarks were written twelve years ago, with the fol¬ 
lowing review,* but they have been withheld from publication from 
a fear that they might have a tendency to stir up an unholy feel¬ 
ing of strife among brethren, and with a conviction that it is better 
rather “ with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,” to 
forget those things which are behind, and to be found reaching 
forth unto those things which are before. This would not now 


* The subjoined Review is only a portion of what was then written. 


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have been printed, but that recent publications, having again 
brought the subject into prominent view, it seems no longer right 
to suppress it. 

It goes forth under a feeling of deep exercise, and in no unloving 
spirit. The hope is cherished that many who were then young, 
but who now have arrived at mature age, with the responsibilities 
of life resting upon them, may be induced to examine for them¬ 
selves, and not let their opinions be formed upon insufficient data. 
But it is desired above everything else, that we all, both older and 
younger, may seek to come into the full realization of that “ faith 
which worketh by love ” and know the wisdom which cometh from 
above, which “ is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be 
entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and 
without hypocrisy.” 


BRIEF REMARKS. 


It will be noticed in the following review that the ex¬ 
tracts from the Appeal taken from J. J. Gurney’s works, 
are placed on the left hand side of the column as “ objec¬ 
tions,” and the refutations, taken from the works of the 
same author, are placed on the right hand side as 
“ Answers.” 

All italicising in the “ Answers ” not in the original, 
would have been avoided, but as the extracts in the Appeal 
were thus arbitrarily dealt with, it seemed necessary to 
adopt the same plan in the “ Answers.” 


objection 1st. 

Appeal, p. 10. 

“In the concluding remarks, p. 
383, of a treatise entitled ‘Essays 
on the Evidences, Doctrines and 
Practical Operations of Christianity/ 
(1st American, from the 3d London 
edition) after summing up the argu. 
ment for the authenticity, and divine 
origin of the Scriptures, it is said: ” 

“ In the fulfilment of the written 
“prophecy; in the wisdom of the 


answer 1st. 

Taken from the same book, near 
the beginning , p. 87. 

“Nor ought we ever to forget that 
“the Spirit of the Lord, by which 
“ alone the doctrines taught in the 
“ Scriptures are rightly opened to the 
“ understanding , and effectually ap- 
“ plied to the heart, is freely bestowed 
“ on all who diligently seek it.” 

Again in the same book, p. 113, 
we find the following: 


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“wri ten doctrine; in the purity of 
“ the written law; in the harmony of 
“the contents of the Bible amidst 
“ almost endless variety, and in its 
“efficacy as the principal means em- 
“ ployed by Divine Providence for 
“the illumination , conversion and 
11 spiritual edification of men, the 
“inquirer cannot fail to perceive 
“ unquestionable indications of the 
“ divine origin of Holy Writ.” 

The above extract is taken from 
the last chapter in the book. 


objection 2d. 

Appeal, p. 11. 

“ On p. 85 of the same work, one 
of the proofs assigned for the divine 
, inspiration of the Bible is spoken of 
as—” 

“ Its practical effect as the divinely 
“ appointed means of conversion and 
“ religious edification.” 

OBJECTION 3d. 

Appeal, p. 11. 

“ Another passage of the same 
tenor is found in a book entitled 
‘Hints on the Portable Evidences of 
Christianity,’ (London, 1832,) where 
the following language is used in p. 
33. 

“The moral law as revealed in 
“ Scripture, partakes of the character 
“of its author, first because it pre¬ 
scribes the practice of every virtue, 
“ and is, therefore, ‘ holy and just and 
“ good,’ and secondly because it is 
“ ‘spiritual,’—insinuating itself into 
“ the heart, reaching the Spirit and 
“ convincing the understa iding It 
“ applies to all circumstances , compre- 


“ The Holy Spirit is the operative 
“ power, through whom the Father 
“ and the Son carry on their work of 
“mercy, and exercise their dominion 
“ over the souls of men. It is he 
“ who enlightens , converts , renews , 
“ consoles and purifies the heirs of 
“salvation.” 

And in an essay on “ Love to God,” 
(London, 1834,) the author says, 
p 73 : 

“That gracious Spirit, who gave, 
“ the Scriptures forth, is the one 
“ needful interpreter of the sacred 
“ page.” 

Answer 2d. 

Same book and same Essay, p. 83. 
A few pages before the extract. 

“ It only remains for me to adduce 
(< in evidence of the divine origin 
“of the Scriptures, the practical 
“ effect which (under the influence of 
“ the Spirit,) they actually produce.” 


ANSWER 3D. 

Same book and essay, p. 40, the 
author says: 

“ But in making our appeal to the 
“man who reads his Bible only , we 
“may inquire of him whether that 
“ law does not meet the best feelings 
“ of his mind, and coincide in all its 
“ parts with the decisions of his con¬ 
science, whether it is not marvel- 
“ lously clear and comprehensive; 
“ whether he does not find it, under 
“ the influence of the Holy Spirit, a 
“safe guide in all the exigencies of 
“ life.” .... 

Again in the same book the author, 
in speaking of the revelation in the 
Bible of the corruption of man, says, 





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“ hends all conditions, regulates all p. 109, “ And as we trace Newton’s 
“ motives, directs and controls all “ discovery on a physical subject to 
“overt acts.” “ the unequalled powers of his rea- 

“ son, so do we ascribe the discovery 
“made to us in Scripture, on this 
“ moral and spiritual subject, to the 
“ illumination of the Holy Spirit , who 
“ alone searches the heart of man, 
“ and reveals its true condition .” 


The following are the comments in the Appeal, upon 
the above extracts. 

“ If the Holy Seri ptures are thus to be designated as the ‘ principal means,’ 
“of our ‘illumination and conversion,’ and as revealing a moral law, ‘ ap- 
“ plying to all circumstances, comprehending all conditions, regulating all 
“ motives, directing and controlling all overt acts,’ we must then acknow¬ 
ledge them to be the* primary rule of faith and manners.’ Yet many per- 
“ sons have been converted from the evil of their ways by other instrumental 
“means than the Bible; and neither the precious truths of Holy Writ, nor 
“ any other means, unless immediately applied by the Saviour in the work 
“ of regeneration, can convert any man unto holiness. While it is our duty 
“ to maintain the, authority of the Holy Scriptures, it is necessary to avoid 
“ assigning to them a place which He who inspired holy men to write them, 
“never intended they should occupy, and which they do not themselves 
“ claim. Being given forth by the Holy Spirit, they are necessarily subor¬ 
dinate thereto, and are only avading for our instruction in righteousness, 
“ as the mind is enlightened and opened by the same Holy Spirit, to under- 
“ stand and profit by them.” 

The reader may judge whether the above comments 
are just, or whether there does not appear to be an in¬ 
tention to prove, that J. J. Gurney denied that the opera¬ 
tion of the Holy Spirit is necessary in enlightening the 
mind to understand the Scriptures, and to profit by them. 
It is also to be noticed that J. J. Gurney speaks of the 
Bible as the principal means, and not the only means— 
that he speaks of it as the means , not the power. “ Means ” 
is defined as the instrument for effecting a purpose. The 
Holy Spirit is the Divine Power—the Scriptures are His 
means. The two are not susceptible of comparison, hence 


8 


the Holy Scriptures may properly be called the principal 
means, while being a means it is secondary to the imme¬ 
diate teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit, which is 
to be acknowledged as the 'primary rule. And that this 
was the meaning of J. J. Gurney is proven conclusively 
by the extracts from his writings which have been given 
above, and by very many others in which his books 
abound, as well as by the testimony of his daily life, and 
of his religious engagements, both at home and in this 
country. 

Witness also that the first clause of “ Answer 1st,” 
taken from J. J. Gurney’s works, is as clear in doctrine 
in regard to the Scriptures being availing only as they are 
opened and applied by the Holy Spirit, as is the last 
clause of the “ Comments,” which is written as a guard 
to his supposed unsound doctrine. 


OBJECTION 4th. 

Appeal, p. 12. 

“ In a work entitled ‘ An Essay on 
the Habitual Exercise of Love to 
God considered as a preparation for 
Heaven/ it is said, p. 84—” 

“Communion is in its nature re- 
“ ciprocal. Not only are we to pour 
“ out our souls in prayer to the Lord, 
“but we are to receive His mind or 
“ counsel in return. It is on this 
“ ground, as I conceive, that the 
“ reading of the Holy Scriptures forms 
«* an essential part of our private and 
“ family devotional duties; for in that 
“ sacred volume God condescends to 
“ speak to us, to develope his mind for 
“ our instruction, guidance and con¬ 
solation.” 

This extract is taken from the next 
to the last paragraph in the essay. 


answer 4th. 

Same book and essay, “Love to 
God, London, 1834,” on the second 
and third pages, of the essay, pp. 85-6, 
the author says with reference to 
the door of communion with our 
Heavenly Father being opened : 

“ Yet we cannot perform this sa- 
“ cred duty in our own strength; 
“ we must seek the influence of that 
“ Holy Spirit who can alone impart 
“ a living energy to our praises and 
11 our prayers 

Again in the same chapter, three 
pages before the extract in the Ap¬ 
peal, p. 96, we find the following: 

“ Here, however, it ought to be 
“ again expressly noticed, that as the 
“ soul of man has no tendency to 
“commune with God until it is quick - 
“ ened by the Spirit, so in order to 
“ maintain this communion we are 



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“ in perpetual need of the same life- 
“ giving power. In all our reli- 
“ gious services — in all our ap- 
“ proaches to God, whether private or 
“ public, we must abstain from any 
“ dependence on our own wisdom 
“ and strength, and cast ourselves in 
“ faith on the gracious aid of the Holy 
“ Spirit ” 

And in the very same paragraph 
from which the extract in the Ap¬ 
peal is taken, and immediately fol¬ 
lowing it the author says : 

“And on the same principle we 
“ recognize a connection between 
“ public worship and the ministry 
“of the Gospel which universally 
“ professes to be an expression of the 
“ mind of God. And such un- 
“ doubtedly it ever will be, so long 
“as it is Scriptural in its character, 
“and is offered under the influence 
“ and teaching of the Holy Spirit. 
“ But our Heavenly Father is 
“ graciously pleased to communicate 
“ His will to man by a voice which 
“ speaks within , and which will ever 
“ direct us in the way of holiness.” 


The reader will notice the following comment in the 
Appeal. 

“ The language here made use of, tends to encourage the belief, that we 
“ may receive the mind and counsel of the Almighty respecting us, by 
'* merely ” (mark, merely /) “ reading the Scriptures, as the channel 

“ through which He condescends to speak to us.” 


OBJECTION 5th. 

Appeal, p. 12. 

“ In page 105 of the Portable Evi¬ 
dence it is said.” 

“ The Bible which alone fully re- 
“ veals the nature and character of 


ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS 5TH, 6TH 
AND 7TH. 

In the same Book and Essay , 
the auth >r says, in the opening of 
his subject, p. 100. 

“ That the conscience reproves for 


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“ sin, expressly declares that all men 
“ have sinned, and are guilty in the 
“ sight of God Although it is 
“ chiefly from the light of Scripture, 
“that we obtain a knowledge of this 
“doctrine, we are quite sure now 
“ that we have obtained it, that the 
“doctrine is true.” 

OBJECTION 6th. 

Appeal, p. 12. 

“ And in page 114 of the same 
work.” 

“ The sentiments which men enter- 
“ tain on the subject of repentance, 
“ are ever found to be deep and ex- 
“ tensive, exactly in proportion to the 
“ depth and extent of their views of 
“ sin; just as our estimate of recovery 
“ from a disease, is commensurate 
“ with our notion of the virulence 
“ and danger of the disease itself. 
“Certain it is however ‘ that as the 
“ Scriptures alone reveal the true cha- 
“ racter of sin, and the universal 
‘ sinfulness of mankind, so it is 
1 only in the Bible, that we find an 
“ adequate account of the nature and 

use of repen ance, and a call to 
“ repent extended without exception 
“ to the whole human race.’ ” 

OBJECTION 7th. 

Appeal, p 12. 

“ Likewise in page 101 of the 
same.” 

“ Now, it is in the Scriptures only , 
1 that the attributes of our Heavenly 
“ Father, are fully made known to 
1 us. And therefore it is only 
“ through the religion of the Bible, 
“ that we can obtain an adequate 
“ notion of sin . But the cardinal 
“ point revealed to us in Scripture, 
“ and only in Scripture, without a 


“ iniquity independently of the light 
“of a written law, must indeed be 
“fully allowed, land that mankind 
“ without Christianity, are by no 
“ means destitute of a sense of trans- 
“ gression may be inferred from the 
“ general us -* among the heathen, of 
“ expiatory sacrifices.” 

In the same book, the author says, 
p. 89.— 

“ Now the conscience like all our 
“ other natural faculties is liable to 
“ great abuse. It may be blinded by 
“ ignorance, hardened by sin, and 
“ perverted by a mistaken education ; 
“ and hence its decisions may some- 
“ times be scarcely perceptible, and 
“ at other times erroneous. But 
“ although the eye may be darkened, 
“ distorted or even destroyed, the 
“ light is in its very nature un- 
“ changeable; and the ‘ law written 
“ on the heart ’ a ‘ work ’ as T 
“ have always believed of the Holy 
11 Spirit—is a light communicated to 
“ the soul, by which the conscience is 
“ directed and rectified 

Again in the same book, the 
author says, p. 90.— 

“ It appears then, that what we 
“ know and feel of the constitution 
“ of our nature, and of the working 
“ of our own minds, affords an un¬ 
questionable evidence that our 
“ Creator is on the side of virtue, 
“and that when the sacred writers 
“ call upon us, to lead a life of holi¬ 
ness, integrity, and charity, their 
‘ voice is in perfect unison with 
“the voice of God, heard in the 
11 secret of the heart.” 

Again in the same book, the 
author says, p. 120 — 

“ But although the atonement 
“ made by the Son of God on the 


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knowledge of which it is impossible 
“for any man to form a full estimate 
{ of sin, is this, that God so loved us 
“ as to send his only begotten Son 
“ i Q to the world, to be a sacrifice for 
“our sins.” ’ 


“ cross, is the centre of our subject, 
“ it is not his only act of mediation, 
“ under the- dispensation of the 
“ gospel. He mediates between God 
“ and man in all his offices—as our 
“ prophet by whom the truth was 
“ revealed to us, and who still 
“ teaches us by his Spirit ” 

“ Again in Distinguishing Views, 
“ p. 26 and 27, J. J. G. says,— 

“ It will not be disputed by any 
u impartial student of Scripture, that 
“ the Holy Spirit was the true en- 
“ lightener and sanctifier of men, 
“ before a^ well as after the coming 
“of Christ in the flesh, and that 
“ many in ancient times, who had 
“only very partial and indistinct 
“ views of the Messiah, were de- 
“ livered by the influence of this 
“ Spirit from the power of sin, and 
“ fitted for eternal life. Hence it 
“seems a very reasonable inference, 
“ that the outward knowledge of 
“ Christ, is not absolutely indis- 
“ pensable to salvation, and that 
“ other persons who are completely 
“ destitute of that knowledge, may 
“ also be saved from sin, and from 
“ the penalties which are attached to 
“ it, through the secret operations of 
“divine grace” 

Again in Love to God he says, p. 
33,— 

“ Even the Gentiles, who were 
“ without the benefit of an outward 
“ revelation, were by no means 
“ destitute of an inward knowledge of 
“ the Law of God; and some of them 
“showed the work of the law written 
“ in their hearts,” their conscience 
“also bearing witness.” 

And again in the same book, p. 72. 

“Now the state of man in the fall, 
“ with respect to a right knowledge 




** of God, and of Ms law, is like that 
“ of the world in the obscurity of 
“ chaos. Not only is he dead in 
“ trespasses and sins; but he is 
‘“‘ui'der the power of darkness f 
“ he is sitting ‘ in darkness nnd in 
“ the shadow of death f and from 
“ this melancholy condition, he can 
“ be delivered only through the 
“ agency of the Holy Spirit ” 

“ Since this is the clear doctrine of 
“ Scripture, it appears to follow that 
“ whatsoever can be found among 
our species in any age or country, 
“ of true moral and spiritual light, 
“ be it famter or brighter—it must 
“ be ascribed, not to the natural 
“ reason of man,, but directly or in- 
directly to that Divine Spirit. 
* * * But where would have been 
“ the preaching of Noah, of Abra- 
“ ham, and of Job; where the pre- 
“ cepts of Moses, where the fervent 
“ admonitions, and luminous dis- 
“ coveries of the prophets; where 
the brightness of that ‘burning and 
“ shining light 7 which preceded the 
“ coming of Jesus; had it not been 
‘‘ for the revealing influence of the 
“ Holy Ghost ?” 


Of these three “ objections” (i. e. the 5th ? 6th and 
7th ? ) the Appeal says: 

“ In the following passages, the knowledge of sin is made to depend ” 
(mark, made to depend !) '* on an acquaintance with Holy Scripture.” 

The reader may judge for himself if this is a true 
statement. J. J. Gurney says, the Bible alone fully re¬ 
veals, the Scriptures alone reveal the true character of 
sin, in the Scriptures only the attributes of our Heavenly 


13 


Father are fully made known to us, that only through 
the religion of the Bible we can obtain an adequate 
notion of sin, that only from a knowledge of Scripture 
can man obtain a full estimate of sin. How much ground 
he left uncovered by the use of the words “fully,” “true,” 
“adequate,” &c., is manifested by the above “answers.” 

The reader will observe the wresting of J. J. Gurney’s 
meaning, in the subjoined comments, and also observe in 
the extracts taken from “ Distinguishing Views,” follow¬ 
ing the comments , how entirely the sentiments of J. J. G., 
when speaking on the same subject, agree with the ex¬ 
tract from Geo. Fox’s sermon, which is introduced in the 
Appeal, as a contrast to the doctrine imputed to J. J. G., 
as unsound. 

Comments extracted from the Appeal. 

“ ‘If it is in the Scriptures only’ that we can obtain, *an adequate notion 
“of sin/ how did Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and many 
“ others who lived before the Scriptures were written, learn to walk in 
“obedience, and forsake their sins? And are we now under the Gospel dis¬ 
pensation placed in a worse condition, and further removed from com 
“munion with the Almighty, than they were who lived in that early age? 
“ How different is the language of Geo. Fox ! (Journal, Leeds edit. vol. 1, p. 
“187.) ‘I directed them/ said he, ‘to the divine light of Christ, and His 
“ Spirit in their hearts, which would let them see all their evil thoughts, words 
“ and actions , that they had thought spoken, and acted ; by which light they 
“ might see their sin, and also their Saviour, Christ Jesus, to save them from 
“their sins. This, I told them, was the first step to peace, even to stand 
“ still in the light that showed them their sins , and transgressions ; by which 
“ they might come to see how they were in the fall of old Adam, in dark- 
“ ness and death strangers to the covenant of promise, and without God 
“ in the world ; and by the same light they might see Christ that died for 
“them, to be their Redeemer and Saviour, and their way to God.’ ” 

Extracts from “ Distinguishing Views.” 

Essay “ On the perceptible]influence, aod guidance of the Spirit of Truth.” 
The italicizing is altogether the author's own. The whole of this Essay is 
so excellent, and so much to the point, that it is difficult to make selections. 

P. 75. “ The serious and enlightened Christian, of every name, will 

“ readily confess that it is only through the influence of this Holy Spirit, 


“that he is enabled rightly to apprehend God, to know himself, and to ac- 
“ cept Jesus Christ, as his all-sufficient Saviour.” 

P. 76. “Some persons conceive that the Spirit of God does not in- 
“fluence the heart of man directly, but only through the means of certain 
“appointed instruments; such as the Holy Scriptures and the word 
“ preached * * * * Now, with Friends (and probably with many 
“persons under other names) it is a leading principle in religion, that the 
“ work of the Holy Spirit in the soul, is not only immediate and direct, 
“ but perceptible. We believe that we are all furnished with an inward 
“Guide or Monitor, who makes his voice known to us, and who, if faith- 
“ fully obeyed and closely followed, will infallibly conduct us into true 
“ virtue, and happiness, because he leads us into a real conformity with the 
“ will of God.” 

Same page. “In a former chapter, I have called the attention of the 
“ reader to the doctrine, that a measure of the Spirit of the Son of God, is 
“ bestowed upon all mankind, and I have endeavored to show it, to be in 
“ reference to his spiritual appearance in the hearts of his creatures, that 
“ Christ is styled ‘ the true light which ligliteth every man that cometh into 
“the world.’ Now, it is certain that nothing can justly be light, which 
“ does not make manifest. ‘ All things that are reproved ’ says the Apostle 
“ Paul, ‘ are made manifest by the light; ’ for whatsoever doth make manifest 
“ is light. Since then the Spirit of Christ, appearing in the soul of man, is 
“ light, it is plain that this Spirit makes manifest —communicates an actual 
“ moral sense—teaches what is right and what is wrong, in a perceptible or 
“ intelligent manner.” 

Again, p. 78. “ The Spirit, whose practical influence the Apostle thus de¬ 
scribes, is ihe Spirit of Christ. With this inspired writer the declarations, 
“ that the Spirit is in us, and that Christ is in us, appear to be equivalent.” 

P. 82 “ Thus explicit, are the declarations contained in b >th the Old 

“ and New Testaments, respecting the actual illumination of divine grace— 
“ the intelligible voice of the true Shepherd—the perceptible guidance and 
“ instruction of the Spirit of Truth in the souls of men.” 

P. 83. “ The true guide is ‘ the day-spring from on high,’ and comes 

“immediately from God, in whom there is no mixture of evil,.and who is 
“ the original and unfailing source of all good.” 

P. 85. “ When the pride of the heart is laid low, when the activity of 

“ human reasoning is quieted, when the soul is reduced to a state of silent 
“ subjection in the presence of its Creator, then is this ‘still small voice’ 
“ intelligibly heard, and the word of the Lord, as it is inwardly revealed 
“to us, becomes a lamp’ unto our feet and ‘a light’ unto our 
“ paths.” 

P. 90. “ The light of the Spirit of Christ, in the heart tends to the 

“ humiliation of man, for in the first place it reveals to him his many 
“ iniquities, and affords him the clearest evidence that he is fallen, corrupt 
“and proue to evil.” 


15 


P. 93. “ How imperfect is the obedience of those persons, who acknow¬ 
ledge only the written law, and who in the application of that law, to the 
various occasions of human life, are accustomed to seek no other direction 
than that of their own reason, and to depend upon no other strength tin n 
that of their own wills ****** * * 

“ Notwithstanding tin ir professed regard to the Scriptures, they neglect 
to seek that guidance of the Holy Spirit, of which the Scriptures so 
plainly testify. ********** 
May not a degree of the same kind of imperfection, be detected in the 
experience even of • seriously-minded Christians, who, while their de¬ 
pendence is mainly placed on the grace of God, are not fully believing in 
the light of Christ, as it is inwardly revealed to the soul t” 


objection 8th. 

Appeal, p. 13. 

“ The same erroneous view as is 
above alluded to isexpiessed on p. 
386 of the Essays on Christianity 
in the following language.” 

“Nor can the searcher after truth 
“ do otherwise than tremble under the 
“weight of his own responsibility, 
“ when he reads the plain declara¬ 
tions of our Saviour, couched in 
“ terms too clear to be misunder- 
* stood, and too strong to admit of 
“ any palliated interpretation, that 
“both the rewards of the righteous, 
“and the punishments of the 
“ wicked are of eternal duration ” 


answer 8th. 

Same Book, p. 330. 

“Now in order to the attainment 
“ of this just view, this essential 
“ practical knowledge of divine 
“ things, it is indispensably neces- 
“ sary that the perverted moral 
“ optics of fallen man should be 
“ changed and rectified, and this 
“work can be effected only by the 
“ Holy Spirit , who not only causes 
“ the truths of Christianity to be 
“ outwardly revealed to us, but be- 
“stows upon us that sound and ex- 
u perimenial sense of them which is 
“ alone effectual for our regeneration 
11 and salvation .” 


Comments taken from the Appeal. 

“ Although it is undeniable, that the minds of men are often arrested in 
“ the perusal of the Bible, and conviction sealed upon their understanding 
“by that Spirit which indited, and which can alone savingly, apply the 
“ precious truths therein contained, yet there is a manifest impropriety, 
“ in thus ascribing these effects as the necessary result of reading the Scrip- 
“ tures, even in the case of the searcher after truth. How often are the 
“ blessed declarations therein set forth, read and reiterated without pro- 
“ ducing such sensations. Nothing can effectually bring a man to feel the 
“ weight of his responsibility, and make him tremble under a true sense of 
“ it, but the power of the Holy Spirit, awakening him to the reality of 
“what awaits the immortal soul, and the fearful retribution which will 
“ overtake the impenitent wicked.” 


16 


The reader will notice the “ Answers ” above, are as 
clear in doctrine on the Holy Spirit, as , are the “ Com¬ 
ments.” 


OBJECTION 9th. 

Appeal, page 14. 

“ In a treatise,” on the “ Dis¬ 
tinguishing Views and Practices of 
the Society of Friends,” Seventh 
edition, London, 1834, is the follow¬ 
ing passage, p. 285. 

“ I am well aware that for want of 
“that knowledge of /Scripture , which 
“ they ought to have obtained before 
“they settled in life, there are many 
‘‘ parents amongst us, who feel thera- 
“ selves incompetent to the work of 
“ instruction who long to be ena- 
“ bled to feed their tender charge with 
“ the sincere milk of the word ,, but 
“ know not how to do it, and are 
41 therefore afraid even to make the 
4 ‘ attempt.” 


OBJECTION IOtH. 

Appeal, p. 14. 

“ And on p. 87, of the essays on 
Christianity, similar terms are made 
use of, viz: 

“If then we would participate in 
“ the benefits of Divine truth, nothing 
“ is so desirable as to approach the 


ANSWER 9TH. 

Same book, same Essay, page 283. 

“ Yet let it not be forgotten by the 
“ preceptors of children, that re- 
“ ligious teaching, even in its ele- 
“mentary parts, requires a measure 
“of the influence of the (Spirit for 
“ its right performance; and that 
“this influence can be expected only 
“ by those who are earnest in the 
“ cause, and who fervently pray for 
“ that divine aid, without which they 
“ can do nothing.” 

And on the next page to the ex¬ 
tract in the Appeal, we find the fol¬ 
lowing : “ And they will humbly 
“ endeavor to teach them, even in 
“ childhood, to bear his yoke, and 
“to submit to the government of his 
“ Holy Spirit .” 

And from the introduction to the 
same book, p. 13, the author says: 
“As it is by the Spirit alone , that 
“we are brought to Christ, and 
“become through faith in the Sav- 
“ iour the reconciled children of 
“ God; so the Spirit alone can 
“ lead us onwards in the way of holi¬ 
ness, cleanse the inward recesses of 
“ our hearts, and prepare us for an 
“ entrance into perfect purity.” 

answer 10th. 

The following passage (which is 
before quoted in answer to “ Objec¬ 
tion 1st,”) is taken from the same 
page as the extract quoted in Objec¬ 
tion 10th, and immediately precedes 
it. 


17 


“volume of inspiration with a humble 
“ and teachable mind, and with ear- 
“ nest prayer that its contents may 
“ be blessed to the work of our soul’s 
“ salvation ; nothing so reasonable 
“as a conformity with the apostolic 
“ injunction, as new-born babes de 
“ sire the sincere milk of the word 
“ that ye may grow thereby.” 


“ Nor ought we ever to forget that 
“the Spirit of the Lord by which 
“ alone the doctrines taught in the 
“ Scriptures are rightly opened to the 
“ understanding , and effectually ap- 
“plied to the heart, is freely bestowed 
“ on all who diligently seek it.” 

Again in the same book we find 
the following passage among others 
of like import, p. 333. 

“ * * * The Holy Spirit not 
“ only regenerates fallen man by ef- 
** fecting in him the first change 
“ from darkness to light, and from 
“ moral death to a spiritual life, but 
“ during the whole progress of the 
44 work of religion in our souls, is our 
** teacher, our helper and comforter, 
“ and above all, our sanctifier.” 

And again, p. 334, after speaking 
of periods of doubts and darkness 
that overtake the Christian, he says : 

“In the meantime under an ex- 
41 perimental sense of our own ig- 
41 norance, we are encouraged to 
“ look to the Holy Spirit as our 
“ teacher and leader, who will never 
“ fail to guide us into self-denial, 
“ virtue, and peace. It is by Him 
“ that the law of God is ‘ put in our 
“‘inward parts,’ and written on 
41 our ‘ hearts: ’ Jer. xxxi. 33. 

Again, in the same book, p. 374: 

“The true believer in the Lord 
■“Jesus Christ is taught of the Spirit, 
“ and the law of his Redeemer is 
“written with a pre-eminent degree of 
“ clearness and efficacy on the tablets 
“ of his heart. 1 * 


Comments in Appeal on the preceding objections. 

“ Now it cannot be fairly denied, that the tendency of the foregoing pass- 
“ ages is to produce an undue reliance on the reading and study of the Holy 
“ Scriptures, in the work of Salvation. To say that nothing is so desirable 


18 


“to those who ‘would participate in the benefits of Divine Truth, as 
“ to approach the Bible with earnest prayer that its contents may be blessed 
“ io the work of their soul’s salvation/ is placing the Bible instead of the 
“ blessed incomes and operations of the Spirit of the Saviour of men, and 
( holding out the idea that the divine nourishment by which the believer 
“ grows from a child to a young man in Christ, is derived therefrom ; that 
“ the Bible is the converter and sustainer of the soul; that in short ‘ the sin¬ 
cere milk of the word’ is to be derived from the Scriptures. But the 
“Apostle, in the passage where he speaks of the converts as ‘being born 
“ again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God 
“ which liveth and abideth forever/ and in that other passage in which he 
“ exhorts them ‘ as new-born babes (to) desire the sincere milk of the word 
“that ye may grow thereby/ does not mean the Bible; neither does he 
“ turn them to it as ‘ the means of conversion/ or as the sincere milk of the 
“word; ‘but to the Word of the Lord which liveth and abideth forever/ 
“and this, says he, ‘is the word, which by the Gospel is preached unto 
“you.’” 

Then follow copious extracts from Robert Barclay, 
which are entirely in accordance with the views of J. J. 
Gurney as expressed in the foregoing answers. 

The remaining “ objections” in the Appeal, taken from 
the authorized works of J. J. Gurney, have all been care¬ 
fully examined and compared with the context and the 
result has been of the same character as the exposition, 
herewith given. It is not thought necessary to weary 
the reader with them. If it is proven that J. J. G. has 
been misrepresented in the first ten objections in the 
Appeal, the whole document is stamped as most unfair. 

There are many more passages in the works of J. J. 
Gurney that fully bear out his belief on the points called 
in question by the Appeal. The difficulty has been in 
many instances to choose among them. Any one can 
judge of the truth of the above review by obtaining the 
works of the author and reading them for himself. 

John M. Whitall. 

Philadelphia , Mh mo. 1873. 






